By the time they reached Quigeta's inn, the sky had completely darkened.

From a distance, Nicole saw Rivern waiting at the door. She didn't know how long he had been standing there.

Rivern waved at them, his familiar gentle smile still on his face, as if he had already forgotten about the unpleasant argument earlier.

He was always like this, no matter how willful or temperamental Nicole was, he always silently accepted everything about her.

Thinking of this, Nicole suddenly felt a pang of emotion. She rushed forward and hugged Rivern tightly, almost knocking him over.

"I'm sorry, Rivern. It's my fault. I shouldn't have lost my temper at you. I'm sorry." She buried herself in Rivern's embrace, sincerely apologizing.

Rivern was a bit surprised. He looked at Quigeta, who was standing nearby, with an expression that seemed to ask: How did you manage to handle her?

Quigeta didn't say anything; he just smiled smugly and gave him a thumbs up.

Rivern was even more puzzled. Without making a sound, he mouthed, "You didn't do anything weird to her, did you?"

Quigeta ignored Rivern's lip-reading, walked straight into the inn, and called out loudly, "Sersi, I'm hungry!"

It was only then that Rivern noticed the empty sword sheath at Nicole's waist. He seemed to understand something. He reached out and gently touched Nicole's hair, lowering his head to whisper in her ear, "I need to apologize to you too. I shouldn't have kept things from you; I should have shared my suspicions. I promise, I won't act on my own next time."

"Okay." Nicole released her hold on Rivern and smiled sweetly.

***

The inn wasn't very crowded. Nicole and Rivern sat down at an empty table. Soon, a waiter came out of the kitchen with dishes and placed them in front of them.

There were three dishes in total, all delicious delicacies that Nicole rarely had the chance to eat. However, she had little appetite at the moment.

Because whenever her mind went blank, the image of that black-haired, purple-eyed man, Kuro's true form, would appear before her eyes.

She had seen that face before. She had definitely seen it, but in a dream. In the dream, he wasn't as he was now but a much younger boy. She couldn't forget the nightmare from that day, nor could she forget that face.

[Who are you really... Why did you come into my life?]

"Thinking about Kuro?" Rivern asked.

Nicole then realized she hadn't taken a single bite. Instead of answering directly, she immediately stuffed food into her mouth, mumbling, "Delicious, it's really delicious."

"No need to force yourself," Rivern said, looking at her with concern, then gently stopped her from shoving more food into her mouth.

Nicole stopped devouring her food. She slowly and sadly swallowed what was in her mouth and finally asked, "Who is he really? Why do I have this illusion that I know him? Why... This is clearly impossible."

"Do you know why I couldn't bear to tell you my suspicions at the time?" Rivern, seeing that Nicole had stopped eating, put down his utensils as well. "Because I had never seen you smile like that before. It was as if..." Rivern paused, searching for the right words, a hint of envy in his eyes, "you two had known each other for many, many years. It was a kind of genuine trust and an inseparable attachment. You might not have noticed it yourself, but you only ever showed that kind of smile in front of Kuro. Not even in front of me."

This was something Nicole hadn't expected, and she suddenly didn't know how to respond.

"At that time, I was conflicted. On one hand, I felt that Kuro had no ill intentions towards you and wouldn't harm you; he even seemed to have extraordinary feelings for you. On the other hand, the faint trace of dark energy emanating from him made me very uneasy. If he really was a demon, then you would be in great danger. After much hesitation, I finally decided to ask Aurora for help. Because with my strength alone, I couldn't uncover anything."

Rivern finished speaking and placed his elbows on the table, interlocking his fingers, looking a bit frustrated. "If I were stronger, perhaps none of this would have happened. Nicole, I'm very sorry."

"No, no, this isn't your fault," Nicole hurriedly said. "If anyone is to blame, it's me for not recognizing Kuro's true form." She once again recalled Guild Master Evans's words and had to admit that he was absolutely right.

"I really don't have the talent to become a beast tamer; otherwise, why haven't I been able to catch a single beast after so many attempts?" Nicole smiled bitterly. "Admitting failure outright actually makes me feel incredibly relieved now."

The girl continued with a bit of pride, "You know, today Quigeta praised me for the first time. Although I'm still miles away from being as skilled as he is, I'll keep trying! I won't give up!"

After saying that, she picked up a spoon, scooped a large spoonful of stewed beans, and brought it to her mouth.

Rivern propped his cheek with one hand, watching Nicole eat heartily. He remembered that when Nicole was younger, she would always lose her appetite when she was upset or anxious. It's impossible for her not to be distressed by this recent event. Yet, she still forced herself to eat, with a determination that seemed like she was battling herself.

Rivern watched her and couldn't help but smile.

Once Nicole had eaten most of her food, Rivern put away his smile and voiced a concern that had been troubling him.

"Since Kuro is not a demon, the Dawn Prayers and the Beast Tamer Guild have no reason to keep holding him," Rivern said, sitting upright, his expression serious. "Nicole, he will come back for you, I'm sure of it."

Hearing this, Nicole slowly put down her spoon. She lowered her eyes and said nothing.

"When that time comes, have you thought about how you'll face him?" Rivern asked.

Nicole looked up at him. She opened her mouth to say something, but then seemed unsure of how to begin, her lips moving without a word coming out.

The familiar yet unfamiliar figure resurfaced in Nicole's mind. He lay on the guild's arena, an arrow lodged in his abdomen. He turned his head and looked at Nicole with deep affection, pleading, "Don't go, don't leave me..."

That look felt like a dagger piercing Nicole's heart. The pain lingered in her heart, like a poison growing stronger and more unbearable.

"I... I don't know..." Nicole said in distress, her mind a chaotic mess.

"It's alright, if you don't know, then don't think about it," Rivern gently comforted her. "The best way is to be straightforward and ask, voice all your doubts. But," Rivern cautioned, "you need to listen carefully and discern the truth from lies."

***

Nicole couldn't sleep. The scenes from today replayed in her mind like a spell.

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She sat by the bedside, looking at the dim moonlight filtering through the curtains and casting shadows on the floor. For some reason, an ancient voice echoed in her ears.

"...Shadows lurk all around you."

That was what the fortune teller had told Nicole today. She couldn't fully grasp the meaning.

But at this moment, she felt as if she had gained some understanding.

There wasn't a single light in the room. Curled up at the head of the bed, she was indeed "lurked by shadows"—at least physically.

Frustrated, she hugged her legs and slumped onto the bed.

On the low table by the windowsill lay the empty sword sheath. The broken sword, shattered by Quigeta, was now useless and discarded somewhere.

What should she do from now on? The thought made Nicole sigh. She instinctively reached for the fishbone pendant on her neck, only to find it missing.

The fishbone pendant was still with Kuro.

Nicole felt even more despondent. She stared blankly at the ceiling, feeling as though she was caught in a vast whirlpool. The dark tide pushed her to the bottom of the sea, her ears filled with incomprehensible murmurs.

"A lengthy journey lies ahead, tread carefully. Shadows lurk all around you."

Weariness finally overcame her. She closed her eyes, as if she could really hear the rushing sound of water. She had the persistent feeling that someone was calling out to her from the other side of the current, but they weren't calling Nicole's name.

Why did she want to respond?

"Fear not, for beyond the veil of light, a welcoming soul awaits..."

The fortune teller's voice pierced through the dark currents like a bolt of lightning in her ears.

Nicole suddenly woke up. She opened her eyes and saw a shadow at her windowsill.

It was the silhouette of an owl.

Nicole quickly sat up, instinctively reaching for the short sword under her pillow.

The night wind blew open the curtains, and the silver moonlight streamed into the room like water, illuminating almost half of it. The owl landed unhurriedly on the low table, its dark feathers reflecting a cold light in the moon's glow. It stood there, looking at the weapon in Nicole's hand, seemingly hesitating.

"...Is it you?" Nicole asked tentatively.

The curtains swayed with the wind, gently brushing against the owl's feathers before slowly receding. The owl vanished, replaced by a tall, handsome young man sitting on the low table.

"It is me," the man answered softly, his deep purple eyes calmly watching Nicole, without any extra words or movements.

Nicole looked at him with some wariness, and he allowed her to remain on guard. The two fell into a brief silence until the man couldn't help but ask, "They... didn't give you a hard time, did they?"

"Don't come any closer," Nicole said, holding the short sword across her chest, trying to use it as a means of self-defense. But when she recalled today's scene in the arena, where this man fought Nevarus to a standstill, she suddenly felt that what she was doing now was futile. Even so, she forced herself not to show any sign of backing down and sternly demanded, "Answer my question!"

"Alright," the man simply looked at her, "go ahead."

"Who are you really? Why did you disguise yourself as Kuro and come to me?"

"I have always been myself, but you have forgotten who you are," the man deftly avoided her question, instead throwing back a question that had puzzled Nicole for over a decade.

Nicole was stunned.

"Nicole," he called her name gently, standing up.

The moonlight fell softly, like a thin veil draped over him. A bright flash glinted from between his collarbones. Nicole saw that it was her fishbone pendant. She then noticed that he was still wearing Kuro's simple collar. Originally meant for a beast, the collar didn't seem out of place on him. Although he had a human-like appearance, even in his human form, he exuded a wild aura and a sharp presence.

Nicole looked up at him, and then she heard a sentence she had countless times hoped someone would say to her, a sentence that could help her find home again, a sentence that could help her know who she was.

And now, that sentence came from the mouth of a werewolf who looked only a few years older than her.

"Nicole, you are my daughter."

The short sword in Nicole's hand clattered to the ground.

At the same time, Rivern and Quigeta, who were waiting at the door, widened their eyes in shock. They exchanged glances. Rivern had guessed that Kuro would show up tonight, which is why he had asked Quigeta to stay at the door with him, just in case.

Sure enough, Kuro really came.

But the words "you are my daughter" were something neither Rivern nor Quigeta had expected.

Just a second later, Quigeta sneered. Clearly, he didn't believe the werewolf's words.

He was about to break in, but Rivern stopped him. Quigeta looked at him in confusion, while the priest signaled him to stay quiet.

Quigeta shook his head in frustration. Couldn't Rivern see through such an obvious lie? Nicole could not possibly have werewolf blood. If this werewolf was deceiving Nicole and pretending to be her father, he must have ulterior motives. If they didn't use force to drive him away now, then when?

But Rivern seemed unconcerned with these reasons; he was solely focused on listening to the sounds coming from the room.

Inside the room, Nicole stood like a petrified statue, her brain taking a long moment to break free from its halted state.

"You're lying!" Nicole retorted, pointing at the werewolf's nose. "If you were my father, why do you look so young? And... and..."

Nicole recalled the boy she had seen in her dreams, who was clearly this man in his younger years. "And, I've seen what you looked like when you were young. I remember, back then, you... you were..." Nicole began to stammer, realizing she couldn't use her dreams to convince others. Such things sounded like nonsense even to herself. But her intuition told her she was right. "In any case, you... you... can't be my father! Don't try to deceive me."

The man, whose lie had been exposed, didn't seem upset at all. Instead, he smiled slightly.

He asked, "What else do you remember?"

"I... remember a funeral, a maple forest... and..." Nicole recalled those relentless nightmares, the image of the stranger woman lying on the bed, barely alive, and the sounds of fighting and chaos outside the door. She suddenly couldn't speak. Even though it was just a dream, why did it feel more and more like these were real events that had happened?

The feeling was utterly absurd.

The man looked at her, his smile gradually turning into an expression of sadness.

"If you don't remember, then what's the point of me saying anything? No matter what I say, you can think it's a lie. You can deny our past promises simply because you 'don't remember.' You can completely negate our relationship just because you 'have forgotten.' But do you know, it's not fair to me."

Nicole looked at him, and that sorrowful face overlapped with the boy from her dreams.

She remembered that when she asked, "Who are you?" the boy had looked at her with the same forlorn and sorrowful eyes.

At that moment, Nicole felt an urge to go over and hug him, to comfort him. She looked at her right hand, which had already reached out but was now frozen in mid-air, and was taken aback.

"That's why I decided to stay by your side as Kuro. As long as I can be with you, it doesn't matter what identity I take on. Whether as a werewolf, disguised as a human, or even a beast, I don't care."

Nicole saw sincerity and determination in his eyes.

"But why... are you willing to go to such lengths for me?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he took out a necklace and tossed it to Nicole.

When Nicole caught it, she discovered that the material of the pendant was the same as her fishbone pendant. However, this pendant was shaped like a cat's paw. Both the carving style and technique indicated that it was crafted by the same artisan as the fishbone. It emitted a gentle, colorful glow under the moonlight, so soft and tender.

"The cat's paw and the fishbone are a pair. They were a gift from you to me. The fishbone has always been with you, and the cat's paw with me. Now, we've exchanged them. The fishbone is mine, and the cat's paw is yours."

"This was a gift from me? I didn't even know you before, how could I have given you a gift?" Nicole was even more confused.

He didn't answer, but instead asked, "Do you know why you named me Kuro?"

Nicole held the cat paw pendant and shook her head. "I don't know. I just felt like calling you that the moment I saw you."

"'Kuro' means 'black' in the ancient language used by werewolves. This isn't a coincidence, because I taught you the ancient language."

Nicole looked at him in surprise once again. And that was precisely the expression he least wanted to see. Because surprise meant that she truly didn't remember anything.

He sighed deeply and finally mentioned a place Nicole had never heard of.

"Acorn Town," he said, "that's where you grew up, and where we met."

He glanced towards the door, seeming to realize something, then in one swift movement, he jumped onto the windowsill. "If you want to know more, come to Acorn Town. I'll be waiting for you there."

With that, he disappeared into the moonlight, leaving only a few black feathers drifting down.

Nicole repeated the name softly, her confusion growing deeper. "Acorn Town... the place where I grew up... Wasn't the place where I grew up supposed to be Echowater Town?"

Outside the room, Rivern hurried into a neighboring room adjacent to Nicole's, opened the window, and strained to search for the owl's silhouette in the night. But he found nothing.

Only a crescent moon answered his gaze.

A complex expression appeared on his face. He slammed his left fist against the window frame. "Acorn Town? Why Acorn Town? Why... does it have to be Acorn Town?"

Quigeta followed him in and, seeing Rivern's strange demeanor, couldn't help but ask, "Are you okay? Have you heard of this Acorn Town?"

The night wind tousled Rivern's blonde hair, obscuring his expression. "No, I haven't. Have you heard of this place?"

"Don't give me that crap, Rivern," Quigeta persisted. "Your lousy acting might fool women, but it doesn't fool me."

Rivern responded with a graceful smile. "Then pretend to be fooled by me once in a while." With that, he left the window and walked towards the door.

"You're disgusting," Quigeta remarked in response to Rivern's charming smile.

As Rivern passed by Quigeta, he stopped and suddenly said with a serious expression, "At first light tomorrow, I need to see Aurora immediately. Please, no matter what, keep an eye on Nicole. Don't let her leave here."

"What, are you afraid little Nicole will really run off to see that werewolf? Are you jealous, my dear Rivern?" Quigeta teased.

Rivern ignored Quigeta's joke and simply pleaded, "Please, Quigeta. You're the only one who can help me."